Metal-cutting shears



Aug. 6, 1957 c, ANDERSON 2,801,468

METAL-CUTTING sHEARs' Filed Spt. 5. 1956 FIG. I

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, CLARENCE M. ANDERSON ATT'YS United States Patent 2,801,468 METAL-CUTTING SHEARS Clarence M. Anderson, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Anderson Tool & Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois This invention relates to hand-operated metal-cutting shears.

The main objects of this invention'are to provide an improved structural form of hand-operatedmetal-cutting shears; to provide an improved structural form of metalcutting shears which permits the use of the lighter metals with all the advantages inherent in the conventional allsteel shears; to provide an improved structural form of metal-cutting shears which involves easily removable cutting blades on light-weight metal hand levers; to provide an improved structural form of the levers which increases the leverage and eliminates all possibility of the cut metal from contacting and injuring the operators hand; and to provide an improved structural form of metal-cutting shears of this kind which is very economical to manufacture and extremely facile to use.

One embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of an improved form of metal-cutting shears constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a top or longitudinal edge view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional detail taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, exploded perspective of one of the cutting jaws, and removable blade.

The essential concept of this invention involves a pair of pivotally-connected cast-aluminum, hand levers each mounting a removable cutting blade and having an integral, finger-guard reinforcing rib extending along the back edge forward of the hand grip.

A metal-cutting shears embodying the foregoing concept comprises a pair of identical levers 6 each formed with a jaw section 7, seating a removable cutting blade 8, and a handle section 9 formed with a reinforcing rib 10 along the back edge thereof.

In a structural form of this kind, the levers 6 preferably are cast from a light metal such as aluminum so as to make the shears lighter in weight than the conventional steel shears, and at the same time, comparably as strong. The levers 6 are of identical form with the jaw section 7 and the handle section 9 offset from an intermediate, angulated, pivot-connecting section 11 and extending in opposite parallel direction. Thus, these sections assume a sort of elongated S. A pair of the levers 6 are hinged together in opposed relationship by a pivot pin 12 extending through apertures 16 in the pivotal sections 11. The pivot pin 12 is secured in place by a conventional nut 13 and spring washer 14.

The jaw section 7 of each lever 6 has the face thereof recessed to provide a cutting-blade pocket 15. Th1s pocket extends from the forward tip of the jaw section 7 to a point rearwardly adjacent the pivot pin aperture 16. The form of the pocket 15 leaves a narrow flange 17 along the outer curved perimeter of the jaw section and a transverse shoulder 18 rearwardly of the pivot-pm aperture 16.

2,801,468 Patented Aug. 6, 1957 "ice As is conventional with metal-cutting shears of this kind, each handle section 9 terminates at its rear end in a hand-grip loop 19. When the shears are put to use the thumb of the operators hand is inserted into the one hand-grip loop 19 on one of the levers 6 and the fingers inserted into the other hand-grip loop 19, as shown in Fig. l.

Such a hand-grip loop 19 is disposed transversely outward from a longitudinal line 20 through the axis 'of the hinge pin 12, as is most apparent from Fig. 2. Adjacent the forward, opposed, exterior face of each hand-grip loop 19 is a small projection 21. On the assembled levers 6 these projections abut on the longitudinal line 20 and limit the overlap of the cutting blades 8.

With the conventional metal-cutting shears, the normal tendency is for the operator to insert the thumb on one hand through the hand-grip loop 19 on the one lever 6 and the middle, ring, and little finger on the same hand through the hand-grip loop 19 of the other lever 6. Thus, the index finger normally tends to dispose itself exteriorly around the hand-grip 19 of the other lever 6. Such a grasp on the hand-grips 19 is shown clearly in Fig. 1.

Persons using a conventional type of metal-cutting shears in this way have found that, when cutting a considerable distance into a piece of metal, the part of the metal which normally bends downwardly under the shears, all too often with a rough edge, strikes against this exposed fore finger and cuts it. Concentrating, as the operator does on the cutting operation along a predetermined scoring, he is not aware of the advance of the sheet metal toward the exposed finger until it strikes his finger. From such repeated experience, many workmen have learned to grasp the shears with the index, middle, and ring fingers inside one of the hand-grip loops 19 and allow the little finger to be free rearwardly of the hand-grip loop 19. This greatly reduces the leverage which the workman can apply to the cutting operation.

To alleviate this problem with the conventional shears, this invention provides for an integral, reinforcing rib 10 formed along the outer edge of the lever 6, tapering from the hand-grip loop 19 forwardly toward the pivotpin aperture 16. At several points along its length this rib 10 is formed with openings 22, to lighten the lever as much as possible. One of these openings 22 is contiguous to the hand-grip 19. This opening 22 provides for the insertion of the index finger on the operators hand, allowing the other three fingers to be inserted through the hand-grip loop 19 in the more normal way, as shown in Fig. l. Thus the operator gets the fullest possible leverage from the hand and the index finger is protected against any contact with and injury from the rough advancing metal as it is being cut.

Heretofore, the conventional metal-cutting shears generally have been made of drop-forge, solid-steel levers. For their size such shears are relatively heavy and some times a bit bulky. To add to such conventional, all-steel shears a reinforcing rib 10 would materially increase the weight and bulk thereof.

However, the provision for such a reinforcing rib 10, as herein shown, makes it possible to cast the rib-reinforced handles 6 from a lighter-weight metal, such as aluminum, and to provide for removable cutting blades 8.

The blades 8, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5, would be shaped to conform with the pocket 15 of the recessed jaw 7 and provide for a slightly-arched cutting edge 23 extending a slight distance beyond the jaw-section edge 24, so that the blades 8 would overlap, as is required for effective cutting.

Each of the blades 8 is formed with a hole 25 for registration with the pivot-pin opening 16; also with a pair of small apertures 26 registering with similar apertures 27 in the recessed jaw-section 7. These smaller registering apertures 26 and 27 allow for insertion of fasteners 28 which removably secure the cutting blade 8 in place in the jaw-section pocket 15, with the back edge of the blade 8 abutting against the flange 17 and the end 2 9 abutting against the shoulder 18. The fasteners 28 may be Allen, Phillips, or common screws, or, if desired, may be rivets.

A pair of shears of this structural formation is light in weight, yet as strong, it not stronger, than the conventional all-steel shears. Moreover, a pair of shears of this structural formallows for the application of the maximum leverage possible to obtain from anoperators hand and insures against the fingers having accidental and cutting contact with the metal being worked on. The provision for the removable cutting blades makes possible easier sharpening and the ready on-the-job substitution of sharp blades for dull ones. Also the outer longitudinal edges of the ribs 10 act as a line guide while cutting to assist the user to cut the metal straight along the score lines.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A metal-cutting shears comprising, a pair of pivoted levers each having a jaw-section and handle section longitudinally offset on opposite sides of the pivotal connection, the handle section terminating in a hand-grip loop, and an integral reinforcing rib extending along the back edge of handle section forwardly of the hand-grip loop and formed with a finger opening directly forward of the hand-grip loop.

2. A metal-cutting shears comprising, a pair of pivoted levers each having a jaw-section and handle section longitudinally offset on opposite sides of the pivotal connection, the handle section terminating in a hand-grip loop disposed transversely outward from the inner edge of the handle section, and an integral reinforcing rib extending along the back edge of the handle section forwardly from the hand-grip to a point adjacent the pivotal connection, the rib having an opening formed therein directly forward of the hand-grip loop.

' References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 743,658 Polkowski Nov. 10, 1903 1,671,569 Boyd May 29, 1928 2,333,740 Rasmussen Nov. 9, 1943 2,564,537 Lincoln Aug. 14, 1951 

